Hawk, Jane

Breeds: Maltese, Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier, and other breeds. Approximately 50-60 dogs and puppies on the property at the time of the investigation.

When investigators first arrived at the property they noticed two large dogs tied to two separate trees (3.6(c)(4)-Prohibited means of primary enclosure). Each had a small plastic “igloo” style structure to use as shelter from the elements, but no food or water were present for either of the dogs at the time of the investigation (3.9(b)-Feeding) (3.10-Watering).

Jane Hawk’s kennel consisted of three separate building types.

Building #1: The first kennel structure on the property was a pair of elevated cages that stood approximately 1 foot above the ground and supported by wooden posts. These cages were about 4 feet long, 2 feet tall and 2 feet deep. One cage housed an adult Beagle and also contained a plastic feeder and a dish of filthy water that had not been changed in several days (3.10-Watering). The other cage structure was piled to the top with trash, towels, and other miscellaneous household items.

Building #2: The second type of building used to house dogs at the facility was the whelping building. This structure was a large, deteriorating wooden shed which was fenced off from the remainder of the yard. A large, thin dog was chained to the fence in the far corner with a 15-20 foot chain (3.6(c)(4)-Prohibited means of primary enclosure). A large empty metal water dish was present but no food was seen by investigators (3.9(b)-Feeding) (3.10-Watering).

Pregnant females as well as numerous puppies and their mothers were housed inside the shed at the time of the investigation. Directly to the right inside the building was a wall full of stacked cages. The cages were stacked three high and three long, totaling nine cages. Only one cage was occupied at the time and contained adult Maltese.

Further into the building were the majority of the cages used to house the puppies and their mothers. Another wall of stacked cages stood on the right-hand side of the shed. There were approximately 20 cages along this wall and they were stacked 3 high and at least 6 long. At one end of the wall three more cages were stacked on top of one another. Every stacked cage appeared to house a mother and litter of puppies except for those on the ground level. Some cages contained a cardboard box to hold the newborn or week-old puppies, although most of the older puppies didn’t have any type of whelping box and were forced to stand or lay on wire floorings which their feet continually slipped through (3.6(a)(2)(x)-Primary enclosures). The fronts of several cages were covered in newspaper, which investigators assumed was used to keep them warm since the building did not appear to be heated.

Directly across from this wall of stacked cages was another wall with the same setup. Fewer dogs were housed along this wall, but investigators did see several Yorkshire Terriers along the top level of cages.

Building #3: The last kennel structure used to house dogs on the property consisted of a variety of elevated outdoor cages that were directly behind the wooden shed. A roof covered the cages but there were no side walls, leaving the dogs on the outside edges that did not back up to the shed exposed to the elements. Some dogs did, however, have access to an indoor portion of their cages through a dog door, although it was unclear if all of them did.

The first set of cages here housed mostly adult Maltese breeding stock. The entire kennel structure holding these dogs was approximately 15-20 feet long but was divided into 5 individual cages. Each cage was elevated 1-2 feet above the ground and stood approximately 4 feet long, 1 foot tall and 1 ½ feet deep. All of the cages housed at least two dogs, many housing more. Several of the dogs had difficulty standing fully upright in these cages because they were so short (3.6(c)(1)(i)-Primary enclosures). One of the Maltese also had a significant case of cherry eye which Jane claimed she intended to have treated soon (2.40-Vet care).

The row of cages was supported by wooden posts at each end as beneath the cages in the middle. These posts did not touch the ground and were instead supported by stacked cement blocks that did not appear to be very sturdy (3.6(a)(1)-Primary Enclosures). The ground near the posts was full of large holes which were covered by large pieces of metal siding that held down with bricks.

A large while plastic tray ran along the entire length of this row of cages and was intended to catch feces which fell through the wire floors. The tray was slanted at the far end in what appeared to be intended for drainage once the fecal accumulation was sprayed off. The tray, however, had not been cleaned in days, if not weeks, as fecal accumulation beneath each cage piled several inches deep (3.11(a)-Cleaning of primary enclosures). Numerous flies swarmed around the dogs as a result as a result of the fecal accumulation beneath them 3.11(d)(4)-Pest control).

Another row of cages housed Chihuahuas. These cages were also elevated 1-2 feet above the ground. They stood approximately 2 feet tall, 2 feet long and 2 feet deep. Most cages housed three or four adult Chihuahuas. Each had a portion with wire flooring that allowed fecal matter to fall through onto a tray below as well as a wooden pen. The pen was connected to the other side by a splintered hole in the wood that appeared to have been broken rather than cut through. A tattered, dirty blanket lay inside the pen and had been chewed and shredded into pieces. A plastic self-feeding device was attached to one wall of the pen and a completely empty water dish sat in a pen that housed four dogs.

The white plastic tray below the cages had not been cleaned in what appeared to be weeks as enormous piles of feces had accumulated throughout its length (3.11(a)-Cleaning of primary enclosures). Flies also swarmed the fecal accumulation and the dogs standing directly above it 3.11(d)(4)-Pest control). Spider webs and clumps of dog fur hung from the bottoms of the cages on many of the sides (3.11(a)-Cleaning of primary enclosures).